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Silas Quinn #4
The Red Hand of Fury
A series of bizarre suicides leads Detective Inspector Silas Quinn to revisit his own troubled past ...
June, 1914. A young man is mauled to death by a polar bear at London Zoo. Shortly afterwards, another young man leaps to his death from a notorious Suicide Bridge. Two seemingly unconnected deaths - and yet there are similarities.
Following a third attempted suicide, DI Silas Quinn knows he must uncover the link between the three men if he is to discover what caused them to take their own lives. The one tangible piece of evidence is a card found in each of the victims' possession, depicting a crudely-drawn red hand. What does it signify? To find the answers, Quinn must revisit his own dark past. But can he keep his sanity in the process?
June, 1914. A young man is mauled to death by a polar bear at London Zoo. Shortly afterwards, another young man leaps to his death from a notorious Suicide Bridge. Two seemingly unconnected deaths - and yet there are similarities.
Following a third attempted suicide, DI Silas Quinn knows he must uncover the link between the three men if he is to discover what caused them to take their own lives. The one tangible piece of evidence is a card found in each of the victims' possession, depicting a crudely-drawn red hand. What does it signify? To find the answers, Quinn must revisit his own dark past. But can he keep his sanity in the process?
240 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2018
About the author
R.N. Morris
28 books46 followersR. N. Morris's most recent book is the historical novel, Fortune's Hand.
He is the author of the St Petersburg Mysteries Series featuring Porfiry Petrovich, the detective from Dostoevsky's masterpiece Crime and Punishment: A Gentle Axe, A Vengeful Longing, A Razor Wrapped in Silk and The Cleansing Flames.
He also wrote the Silas Quinn series, set in London in 1914: Summon Up The Blood, The Mannequin House, The Dark Palace, The Red Hand of Fury, The White Feather Killer and The Music Box Enigma.
He has written a standalone dystopian thriller, Psychotopia and, writing as Roger Morris, the contemporary thriller Taking Comfort.
He is the author of the St Petersburg Mysteries Series featuring Porfiry Petrovich, the detective from Dostoevsky's masterpiece Crime and Punishment: A Gentle Axe, A Vengeful Longing, A Razor Wrapped in Silk and The Cleansing Flames.
He also wrote the Silas Quinn series, set in London in 1914: Summon Up The Blood, The Mannequin House, The Dark Palace, The Red Hand of Fury, The White Feather Killer and The Music Box Enigma.
He has written a standalone dystopian thriller, Psychotopia and, writing as Roger Morris, the contemporary thriller Taking Comfort.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 4, 2018
3.5☆ A Dark Twisted Crime Thriller
(Rounded up to a 4☆ for Goodreads & Amazon)
The Red Hand of Fury is a dark crime mystery that deals with sensitive issues, suicide, mental health, death.
The reason I rated 3.5☆ is I felt it a little too dark for me. I love my crime thrillers/mystery to be gritty. But the nature of this book is quiet heavy. But this could be down to my own mood at the moment
When several men have been found to have committed suicide, Silas Quinn (Detective inspector of Special Crimes Unit) is on the case.
At first he believes the cases are not connected, but as he uncovers more of the pieces he discovers there is a connection. A Lunatic Asylum.
Why or how they are connected, i will let you discover for yourself.
The Red Hand of Fury is a dark, atmospheric, complex Crime Thriller/Mystery that will have you piecing together the puzzles alongside.
The characters are deeply flawed yet somewhat likeable. The pace is just right.
I really didn't dislike this book it was just a little too dark and intense. I still would highly recommend this book to others.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
(Rounded up to a 4☆ for Goodreads & Amazon)
The Red Hand of Fury is a dark crime mystery that deals with sensitive issues, suicide, mental health, death.
The reason I rated 3.5☆ is I felt it a little too dark for me. I love my crime thrillers/mystery to be gritty. But the nature of this book is quiet heavy. But this could be down to my own mood at the moment
When several men have been found to have committed suicide, Silas Quinn (Detective inspector of Special Crimes Unit) is on the case.
At first he believes the cases are not connected, but as he uncovers more of the pieces he discovers there is a connection. A Lunatic Asylum.
Why or how they are connected, i will let you discover for yourself.
The Red Hand of Fury is a dark, atmospheric, complex Crime Thriller/Mystery that will have you piecing together the puzzles alongside.
The characters are deeply flawed yet somewhat likeable. The pace is just right.
I really didn't dislike this book it was just a little too dark and intense. I still would highly recommend this book to others.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
March 17, 2018
I love this series so much that, a while ago, I actually emailed the author, through his website, and asked him to write a new one! Not sure I had any influence, but hopefully lots of other readers did the same thing – anyway, for whatever reason, I was delighted to read a new Inspector Silas Quinn mystery.
It is 1914 and Inspector Quinn is still running the Special Crimes Department, at New Scotland Yard, along with his colleagues Sergeant Macadam and Sergeant Inchball. Always on the lookout for unusual events, their interest in piqued by a series of strange suicides. Men, who strip off their clothes, and kill themselves by jumping from bridges or climbing into the polar bear enclosure at the zoo. There are other odd coincidences; including the fact that the men were wearing a similar uniform – one which is all too familiar to Inspector Quinn.
This excellent mystery involves Silas Quinn having to confront his own past; including both his family history and his time at Colney Hatch Asylum. In order to discover what is causing these men to die in such terrible ways, Quinn has to face both his personal demons and a criminal that escaped him in the past.
This is the fourth in the Inspector Quinn series – previous titles are, “Summon Up the Blood,” “The Mannequin House,” and “The Dark Palace.” I highly recommend all of the books and think it is best to begin at the beginning of the series, if possible. This book, as I mentioned, is set during 1914 and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand occurs – almost as a side comment – during this story. I do hope the author takes the characters on, as the country goes to war. I feel that Quinn’s story is not yet complete and will hope for future novels. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
It is 1914 and Inspector Quinn is still running the Special Crimes Department, at New Scotland Yard, along with his colleagues Sergeant Macadam and Sergeant Inchball. Always on the lookout for unusual events, their interest in piqued by a series of strange suicides. Men, who strip off their clothes, and kill themselves by jumping from bridges or climbing into the polar bear enclosure at the zoo. There are other odd coincidences; including the fact that the men were wearing a similar uniform – one which is all too familiar to Inspector Quinn.
This excellent mystery involves Silas Quinn having to confront his own past; including both his family history and his time at Colney Hatch Asylum. In order to discover what is causing these men to die in such terrible ways, Quinn has to face both his personal demons and a criminal that escaped him in the past.
This is the fourth in the Inspector Quinn series – previous titles are, “Summon Up the Blood,” “The Mannequin House,” and “The Dark Palace.” I highly recommend all of the books and think it is best to begin at the beginning of the series, if possible. This book, as I mentioned, is set during 1914 and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand occurs – almost as a side comment – during this story. I do hope the author takes the characters on, as the country goes to war. I feel that Quinn’s story is not yet complete and will hope for future novels. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
July 4, 2018
I really enjoyed this fantastic, intriguing historical mystery. I’ve had a few people recommend this author to me but have never managed to pick up one of his books until now.
This book is rich with historical detail about life and society in 1914. The author has clearly done his research and manages to make the reader feel emersed in the time. It was especially interesting to learn more about life and treatment in an assylum for people needing psychiatric care. The methods they used and the casual cruelty of some of the staff sent a shiver down my spine at times. It’s a relief to realise how far we have come in this area.
The mystery of the supposed suicides was fascinating and kept me guessing as to how it would all work out. The two cases seemed so different to each other that I was unable to guess what was going on. The author has written a very cleverly plotted book where the clues and answers are revealed gradually at a rate that keeps the reader’s interest and ensured that I continued turning the pages.
I liked the main character Silas Quinn, though he seemed to have two parts to him. On one side he seemed to be very intelligent and a great detective but on the other he seemed very vulnerable when his mental health problems arose which made me feel very sorry for him. I absolutely hated Stanley the incredibly cruel member of staff at the assylum. His attitude and treatment of the patients made my blood boil and lead to some very hard to read passages. His behaviour is made worse by the attitude of the other staff who are aware of his cruelty but still allow him to work there! I really wanted him to come to a sticky end and get his comeuppance.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and the publisher for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you like well plotted, unusual historical thrillers then you’ll love this book.
This book is rich with historical detail about life and society in 1914. The author has clearly done his research and manages to make the reader feel emersed in the time. It was especially interesting to learn more about life and treatment in an assylum for people needing psychiatric care. The methods they used and the casual cruelty of some of the staff sent a shiver down my spine at times. It’s a relief to realise how far we have come in this area.
The mystery of the supposed suicides was fascinating and kept me guessing as to how it would all work out. The two cases seemed so different to each other that I was unable to guess what was going on. The author has written a very cleverly plotted book where the clues and answers are revealed gradually at a rate that keeps the reader’s interest and ensured that I continued turning the pages.
I liked the main character Silas Quinn, though he seemed to have two parts to him. On one side he seemed to be very intelligent and a great detective but on the other he seemed very vulnerable when his mental health problems arose which made me feel very sorry for him. I absolutely hated Stanley the incredibly cruel member of staff at the assylum. His attitude and treatment of the patients made my blood boil and lead to some very hard to read passages. His behaviour is made worse by the attitude of the other staff who are aware of his cruelty but still allow him to work there! I really wanted him to come to a sticky end and get his comeuppance.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and the publisher for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you like well plotted, unusual historical thrillers then you’ll love this book.
April 7, 2018
After a series of male suicides, one of whom is unsuccessful and gravely ill in hospital, Silas Quinn begins to investigate these apparently unconnected events. This grim work is something that will raise the long-buried spectres of Quinn’s past and pitch him headfirst into a darkness that he soon discovers has never been far away.
This is the first Silas Quinn book I have read. Although I didn’t so much read this book as grind my teeth while experiencing it, as I stressed over Quinn’s ever-increasing trials and tribulations. Given that the socially inept Quinn gives short shrift to authority, particularly when it gets in the way of the truth, he does not make life easy for himself. You feel Quinn’s world begin to uncomfortably shift like quicksand around him as his investigation takes him to places he would rather not go.
R N Morris is very good at creating atmosphere and sense of place, allowing the reader to really immerse themselves in the events unfolding at an alarming pace as Quinn digs deeper into the sinister goings on.
The Red Hand of Fury is set in the run up to the First World War, an event you can really sense beginning to impact on Quinn’s world, at first in a subliminal way. Quinn is running out of time on his case as the erosion of his inner peace eerily echoes the rapidly crumbling tranquillity of the everyday life of the general population. As the case develops, the clues drop into place with the inevitability of a shell being loaded into the breech of the infamous Big Bertha gun, readied for an assault on the soon to be embattled Allied forces.
Credible and mild-mannered, Quinn’s old nemesis is written in a very understated way which gives you the feeling that something is not right, but you just can’t put your finger on it. This just adds to the tension.
In all, The Red Hand of Fury is a highly entertaining and rattling good tale in the spirit of John Buchan’s Richard Hannay series. But you will have to read the novel to know whether Quinn survives to solve another crime or whether this will be the case that finally claims his sanity and his life.
The Red Hand of Fury was courtesy of Severn House via NetGalley.
This is the first Silas Quinn book I have read. Although I didn’t so much read this book as grind my teeth while experiencing it, as I stressed over Quinn’s ever-increasing trials and tribulations. Given that the socially inept Quinn gives short shrift to authority, particularly when it gets in the way of the truth, he does not make life easy for himself. You feel Quinn’s world begin to uncomfortably shift like quicksand around him as his investigation takes him to places he would rather not go.
R N Morris is very good at creating atmosphere and sense of place, allowing the reader to really immerse themselves in the events unfolding at an alarming pace as Quinn digs deeper into the sinister goings on.
The Red Hand of Fury is set in the run up to the First World War, an event you can really sense beginning to impact on Quinn’s world, at first in a subliminal way. Quinn is running out of time on his case as the erosion of his inner peace eerily echoes the rapidly crumbling tranquillity of the everyday life of the general population. As the case develops, the clues drop into place with the inevitability of a shell being loaded into the breech of the infamous Big Bertha gun, readied for an assault on the soon to be embattled Allied forces.
Credible and mild-mannered, Quinn’s old nemesis is written in a very understated way which gives you the feeling that something is not right, but you just can’t put your finger on it. This just adds to the tension.
In all, The Red Hand of Fury is a highly entertaining and rattling good tale in the spirit of John Buchan’s Richard Hannay series. But you will have to read the novel to know whether Quinn survives to solve another crime or whether this will be the case that finally claims his sanity and his life.
The Red Hand of Fury was courtesy of Severn House via NetGalley.
July 1, 2018
Inspector Silas Quinn of the Special Crime Department believes there is a connection when he comes across 2 suicides and 1 attempted suicide. There is not much that links these events together, but Quinn thinks differently and along with his sergeants; Macadam and Inchball they try to discover the truth.
This is set in 1914 London and begins in Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum as the newest patient is brought in. The author describes the brutal and harsh treatment of patients before taking a step back by a few weeks, and then I got to learn the story of the events as they happened bringing me back up to date.
This is a really gritty and grimy read as I got taken round some not particularly nice areas of London. There are historical references that help set the picture and add to the scenes and have very nicely woven into the story.
The plot is very clever and I had no idea as to who was responsible or why. It contained teasing and cryptic little details as I followed Quinn and his team on their investigation. The characters themselves are quite likeable, but I am not sure about Quinn he is an oddball in some ways.
This is the fourth in the series and it worked very well as a stand alone. True to my usual form I haven’t read the previous books, but didn’t feel that I was missing out too much on any previous stories. It has left me very intrigued and wanting to read the previous books in the series.
If you like early 1900’s detective, murder mystery then this is a really must read one . It is well paced and kept me guessing all the way through, it does have some good historical references. This is one I would definitely recommend.
This is set in 1914 London and begins in Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum as the newest patient is brought in. The author describes the brutal and harsh treatment of patients before taking a step back by a few weeks, and then I got to learn the story of the events as they happened bringing me back up to date.
This is a really gritty and grimy read as I got taken round some not particularly nice areas of London. There are historical references that help set the picture and add to the scenes and have very nicely woven into the story.
The plot is very clever and I had no idea as to who was responsible or why. It contained teasing and cryptic little details as I followed Quinn and his team on their investigation. The characters themselves are quite likeable, but I am not sure about Quinn he is an oddball in some ways.
This is the fourth in the series and it worked very well as a stand alone. True to my usual form I haven’t read the previous books, but didn’t feel that I was missing out too much on any previous stories. It has left me very intrigued and wanting to read the previous books in the series.
If you like early 1900’s detective, murder mystery then this is a really must read one . It is well paced and kept me guessing all the way through, it does have some good historical references. This is one I would definitely recommend.
July 6, 2018
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
I absolutely loved this book and can't believe it has taken me so long to find this author!
This book was very well written, full of detail, fantastic characters and it has a brilliant plot - there wasn't anything in the book that I didn't dislike!
It was a brilliant read and I have to give it 5 stars!! Superb story!!
I absolutely loved this book and can't believe it has taken me so long to find this author!
This book was very well written, full of detail, fantastic characters and it has a brilliant plot - there wasn't anything in the book that I didn't dislike!
It was a brilliant read and I have to give it 5 stars!! Superb story!!
June 18, 2019
Full review at classicmystery.blog
September 4, 2018
Do you believe there is such a thing as true evil? Can someone who has committed the most heinous of acts ever be redeemed, and should they then be allowed to walk amongst the innocent of society? Allowed to prowl the streets like a caged hungry tiger, who is always only one step away from devouring its next meal.
How many men and women with a lust for pain and killing have convinced their peers that they are merely victims of a moment of mental instability, as opposed to beings who crave the pleasure of sadism, thereby laying their own path for inevitable freedom somewhere in the future.
The truth is the criminal system is flawed, and the containment of psycho- and sociopaths in mental institutions is perhaps the biggest flaw of all. Where an attempt is made to heal and rehabilitate, and assessments are made which enables patient killers to one day prowl the streets again.
Silas Quinn can see Timon Medway for what he is, and the danger he represents to everyone around him. Even the most brutal of guards can often distinguish the difference between lunacy and true evil.
When men start committing suicide in the most bizarre and brutal way possible, the obvious assumption is some sort of momentary madness or desperation. Which isn't completely impossible, even it weren't for the fact they all have something minor in common. Just something any other person would dismiss as a coincidence, but Silas and his team are used to sniffing out the anomalies in the strange cases they solve.
It's an intriguing combination of mystery and crime with a gothic horror vibe. You can feel the insidious nature of the beast seeping into the pages. Morris plants this almost hypnotic suggestion about not looking into the eyes of evil, thereby confirming not only the fears the characters have, but also your own.
What makes Silas Quinn such a compelling character is the fact he has crossed the line between reality and his own conjured up visions of insecurities and fears. One gets the feeling that he never quite knows what he is doing and whether or not he is about to lose the plot completely. Who better to recognise the devil than someone who has danced with him themselves.
The story has an element of the macabre feel of a Poe at his darkest, and yet it is lightened by the imperfections of Quinn and his bloodhound knack of sensing when a crime is afoot. It's a well-written riveting piece of fiction.
*I received a copy via NetGalley*
How many men and women with a lust for pain and killing have convinced their peers that they are merely victims of a moment of mental instability, as opposed to beings who crave the pleasure of sadism, thereby laying their own path for inevitable freedom somewhere in the future.
The truth is the criminal system is flawed, and the containment of psycho- and sociopaths in mental institutions is perhaps the biggest flaw of all. Where an attempt is made to heal and rehabilitate, and assessments are made which enables patient killers to one day prowl the streets again.
Silas Quinn can see Timon Medway for what he is, and the danger he represents to everyone around him. Even the most brutal of guards can often distinguish the difference between lunacy and true evil.
When men start committing suicide in the most bizarre and brutal way possible, the obvious assumption is some sort of momentary madness or desperation. Which isn't completely impossible, even it weren't for the fact they all have something minor in common. Just something any other person would dismiss as a coincidence, but Silas and his team are used to sniffing out the anomalies in the strange cases they solve.
It's an intriguing combination of mystery and crime with a gothic horror vibe. You can feel the insidious nature of the beast seeping into the pages. Morris plants this almost hypnotic suggestion about not looking into the eyes of evil, thereby confirming not only the fears the characters have, but also your own.
What makes Silas Quinn such a compelling character is the fact he has crossed the line between reality and his own conjured up visions of insecurities and fears. One gets the feeling that he never quite knows what he is doing and whether or not he is about to lose the plot completely. Who better to recognise the devil than someone who has danced with him themselves.
The story has an element of the macabre feel of a Poe at his darkest, and yet it is lightened by the imperfections of Quinn and his bloodhound knack of sensing when a crime is afoot. It's a well-written riveting piece of fiction.
*I received a copy via NetGalley*
June 30, 2018
This is the first book I read in the Silas Quinn series. Before I started reading I knew it was the 4th book in the series, but I decided to just go for it and read the other three after. And I discover that it’s okay to read it as a standalone, because you still get all the goosebumps and all the tension, and you are even more curious about Silas, the Deputy Inspector that is the head of the Special Crimes Department at the Scotland Yard.
When you begin the book you get immediately pushed in to the world of the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum and because one of my favorite books and movies is “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” you may understand why I got intrigued even more. And if in the other book and movie the doctors and staff were scarier than the patients, in “The Red Hand of Fury” you can be sure it’s the same.
As we keep reading we understand more what’s going on and even more questions start to form in our minds. This mystery/crime book involves Silas and his companions trying to figure out what caused the death of a series of men. Meanwhile he must confront his own past and we get this weird feeling sometimes, but still we keep reading.
That’s what happened to me. I wasn’t entirely sure of what was true or not. Was he really crazy or was he just pretending? Nevertheless, with the mystery behind those weird deaths, I was so stuck in the book I couldn’t let it go even when I was ready to jump from my seat.
Silas Quinn fascinated me. He’s a complex and intelligent man, haunted by his past, just like we all are I suppose, but there is this ‘something else’ I can’t quite put my finger on that makes him different from all the other detective characters in books, movies and tv series.
R. N. Morris did such an wonderful job creating amazing (good and bad, or just crazy) characters and setting the atmosphere and flow of the book in such a way that made it possible for me to fell into the book and feel like I was part of that story.
I totally recommend this book and I will be reading the previous ones in the near future.
[I want to thank Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for this blog tour, to R. N. Morris for the amazing book and for getting me curious about the all series, and to NetGalley for the eCoppy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
When you begin the book you get immediately pushed in to the world of the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum and because one of my favorite books and movies is “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” you may understand why I got intrigued even more. And if in the other book and movie the doctors and staff were scarier than the patients, in “The Red Hand of Fury” you can be sure it’s the same.
As we keep reading we understand more what’s going on and even more questions start to form in our minds. This mystery/crime book involves Silas and his companions trying to figure out what caused the death of a series of men. Meanwhile he must confront his own past and we get this weird feeling sometimes, but still we keep reading.
That’s what happened to me. I wasn’t entirely sure of what was true or not. Was he really crazy or was he just pretending? Nevertheless, with the mystery behind those weird deaths, I was so stuck in the book I couldn’t let it go even when I was ready to jump from my seat.
Silas Quinn fascinated me. He’s a complex and intelligent man, haunted by his past, just like we all are I suppose, but there is this ‘something else’ I can’t quite put my finger on that makes him different from all the other detective characters in books, movies and tv series.
R. N. Morris did such an wonderful job creating amazing (good and bad, or just crazy) characters and setting the atmosphere and flow of the book in such a way that made it possible for me to fell into the book and feel like I was part of that story.
I totally recommend this book and I will be reading the previous ones in the near future.
[I want to thank Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for this blog tour, to R. N. Morris for the amazing book and for getting me curious about the all series, and to NetGalley for the eCoppy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
July 1, 2018
Wow, I just want to talk about the beginning of the book! I had no idea where it was going or who the first patient would be and bam! The author just throws a curve ball straight off the bat! Jaw dropped!!!
This is book four in the series of Silas Quinn, but you are fine as you don’t have to read the others to read this. It reads perfectly as a stand-alone novel.
Silas is a famed detective, but he feels like he has not done anything to deserve the praise. He lets his two sergeants do the thinking and then decides one of their ideas to solve cases.
They are in a bit of a lull when Inchball comes across a new story where a man has decided to strip all his clothes off and jump into a bear enclosure...well you can guess what happen! Silas and Macadam write it off as nothing to investigate. Then a man jumps off a bridge, known as Suicide bridge, again getting naked and jumping! Now their interest is peaked, what is going on..and now they begin to delve into the history but not before there is a third (near) victim...and this time its someone that one of them knows.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted that is for sure. It is at times such a dark foreboding read. Some of the descriptive words that the author uses are so detailed I found myself cringing so much that I could see the scenes and smell the smells. Not always a good thing I am telling you!! Especially when we spend time in Coney Hatch asylum...
It was interesting to read about life pre-war, being set in 1914. Simple throwaway comments like hearses being cars instead of horse-drawn carriages, ‘because it is all the rage now,’ seem crazy but back then it was not.
Silas is a complex and maybe even slightly crazy character. You are following him into a tunnel of discovery, especially when you learn some of his history at the beginning wondering where it will fit in, in the present.
Always wondering can he be trusted.....
This is book four in the series of Silas Quinn, but you are fine as you don’t have to read the others to read this. It reads perfectly as a stand-alone novel.
Silas is a famed detective, but he feels like he has not done anything to deserve the praise. He lets his two sergeants do the thinking and then decides one of their ideas to solve cases.
They are in a bit of a lull when Inchball comes across a new story where a man has decided to strip all his clothes off and jump into a bear enclosure...well you can guess what happen! Silas and Macadam write it off as nothing to investigate. Then a man jumps off a bridge, known as Suicide bridge, again getting naked and jumping! Now their interest is peaked, what is going on..and now they begin to delve into the history but not before there is a third (near) victim...and this time its someone that one of them knows.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted that is for sure. It is at times such a dark foreboding read. Some of the descriptive words that the author uses are so detailed I found myself cringing so much that I could see the scenes and smell the smells. Not always a good thing I am telling you!! Especially when we spend time in Coney Hatch asylum...
It was interesting to read about life pre-war, being set in 1914. Simple throwaway comments like hearses being cars instead of horse-drawn carriages, ‘because it is all the rage now,’ seem crazy but back then it was not.
Silas is a complex and maybe even slightly crazy character. You are following him into a tunnel of discovery, especially when you learn some of his history at the beginning wondering where it will fit in, in the present.
Always wondering can he be trusted.....
July 4, 2018
Two men have committed suicide by stripping naked and either jumping into the polar bear enclosure or jumping off a bridge. Then there is a third man that doesn’t succeed in his attempt. As Inspector Quinn gets looking into them he notices they all are wearing the same clothes, ones that are very familiar to him. It seems all three men have come from the Colney Hatch Asylum. Quinn also has had personal dealing with the asylum and will be confronting his own past as he looks into the deaths and attempted death of these men.
We start the story in the Colney Hatch Asylum with dark treatment and cures for patients. That drew me in and had me wondering where the story was going from there. Inspector Quinn clearly has a past that is going to be affected by this investigation. I loved both the mystery of why these men have been killing themselves and what really happened to Quinn.
The Red Hand of Fury is the fourth book in the Silas Quinn series but I had no trouble following along without the other three books. I am curious about Quinn and will be checking out the other three in this series. This is my first book from author RN Morris and I have to say that I’m very curious about his other books.
This is a great, dark mystery. If that is your preferred reads I recommend checking out The Red Hand of Fury.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
We start the story in the Colney Hatch Asylum with dark treatment and cures for patients. That drew me in and had me wondering where the story was going from there. Inspector Quinn clearly has a past that is going to be affected by this investigation. I loved both the mystery of why these men have been killing themselves and what really happened to Quinn.
The Red Hand of Fury is the fourth book in the Silas Quinn series but I had no trouble following along without the other three books. I am curious about Quinn and will be checking out the other three in this series. This is my first book from author RN Morris and I have to say that I’m very curious about his other books.
This is a great, dark mystery. If that is your preferred reads I recommend checking out The Red Hand of Fury.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
October 12, 2018
VERY strange book. Published this year, June, set in 1914 London area, it almost could have been written in the '30s. The narrative language is old-fashioned,not in a good way. Way too much tell instead of show, belaboring the obvious, repetition of descriptions of central characters. The plot follows most of the action through Quinn's consciousness, multiple murders of released patients at a high end "lunatic" asylum. The language used to describe the patients is consistently belittling and totally offensive. That the people, staff and cops, talked that way, yes. But not narrator. However, the most difficult to swallow, craft-wise, was the de-volution of Quinn himself as he goes undercover, as a patient, back into the asylum. He convincingly loses his identity completely. He cooperates with the absurd (as we know now) treatments, mentally, not just physically. Yet, at the denouement, where he is brought into the office where cops and psychiatrists are present, hey presto, he's back to his normal self. Twenty minutes before, for all the reader could surmise, he was lost. And did cops go "undercover" for weeks at a time, as we understand it, in 1914? Sigh.
June 8, 2018
An intriguing who-done-it in the vein of Sherlock Holmes that had me amused and intrigued simultaneously at the author's creativity. This is the fourth in a series but definitely works as a stand alone. Set in the prewar years of 1914, Deputy Inspector Silas Quinn is head of the Special Crimes Unit at the New Scotland Yard and is assigned to investigate the bizarre deaths of 3 men who had committed suicide in a very unseemly fashion. Fascinating clues appear to connect the three, where all had been relegated to a lunatic asylum . How Quinn decides to piece together the puzzle fragments is half the fun and also a huge plot spoiler. So, trust me that you will have to put on your sleuthing hats and see if you can outwit this delectably wicked inspector before he has you gaping with your mouth open.
May 8, 2018
This was the first of the Silas Quinn books that I have read. Quinn is a complex man. I wasn't sure if he was really crazy or just pretending.
The absolute last place I would want to be is this Colney House Metal Asylum. Where the not so well in the head wear corduroy suits and have their heads shaved. The doctors and staff were scarier than any of the patients.
This was one nail-biting story. The pace was excellent as the story unfolded at exactly the right time. The characters were well done and complex. There was always some undercurrent to all of their motivations. I would definitely read more of the series.
Netgalley/July 1st 2018 by Severn House Publishers
The absolute last place I would want to be is this Colney House Metal Asylum. Where the not so well in the head wear corduroy suits and have their heads shaved. The doctors and staff were scarier than any of the patients.
This was one nail-biting story. The pace was excellent as the story unfolded at exactly the right time. The characters were well done and complex. There was always some undercurrent to all of their motivations. I would definitely read more of the series.
Netgalley/July 1st 2018 by Severn House Publishers
June 25, 2018
Really good historical procedural. Silas Quinn will remind you of more modern tortured detectives but he's got some unique characteristics I haven't encountered elsewhere. He's trying to solve the mystery of three suicides, all of which are odd and what's with the card found with each man? Colney Asylum........This has twists, turns, and will make you question Quinn's thought process as well as your own. It's hard to review without spoilers but suffice it to say that it's a very good story. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'd not read the earlier books but very much enjoyed this one and will look for more in the future.
June 23, 2018
I wasn’t aware when I got sent this book that it was part of a series. I chose to read/review as I loved the look of the cover and the story summary. I am disappointed that I didn’t start with the first books in the series but this book works very well as a stand-alone story. I love Silas Quinn! He is a very intelligent, haunting character. One thing is for sure, I am looking forward to seeing the previous books in this series - they have been added to my TBR list
Great story! Brilliantly written! Fantastic dialogue!
This is really worth a read!
Great story! Brilliantly written! Fantastic dialogue!
This is really worth a read!
June 30, 2018
June, 1914 and several bizarre suicides have been brought to the attention of the Special Crimes Department and DI Silas Quinn. Unfortunately for Quinn his past may be catching up on him.
The book drew me in straight away. I loved the style of writing, and the mystery and was intrigued by Quinn and his team. They were characters that I enjoyed reading about.
Although this was the fourth in the series it can be read as a standalone story, though I am looking forward to reading the first three.
A NetGalley Book
The book drew me in straight away. I loved the style of writing, and the mystery and was intrigued by Quinn and his team. They were characters that I enjoyed reading about.
Although this was the fourth in the series it can be read as a standalone story, though I am looking forward to reading the first three.
A NetGalley Book
May 31, 2020
I just did not connect with the main character at all. The writing was okay but I spent most of my time reading this feeling like i was wasting my time on it as I did not care what happened to any other the characters that were on the page.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 28, 2018
My Review
The Red Hand of Fury by R. N. Morris
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this. After I read the first chapter I was convinced it was going to be horror!
The Good
It wasn't a horror and after the first Stanley chapter there are a lot of clues and twists. Clever detective fans will really enjoy this!
Chapters jump from timelines and it keeps you on your toes. This is an active read that all hobby detectives will love.
The Bad
It is a bit creepy. I swear I felt a bit uneasy thinking about insane people and trying to understand how someone who worked there could think those things. Also mind games and mind control has always fascinated me.
The Ugly
FURY is a great word for this book. It is furious. It was a little bit dark for me and that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I did but I felt as though I read it like I was watching Silence of the Lambs, with one hand over one eye.
4 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour.
The Red Hand of Fury by R. N. Morris
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this. After I read the first chapter I was convinced it was going to be horror!
The Good
It wasn't a horror and after the first Stanley chapter there are a lot of clues and twists. Clever detective fans will really enjoy this!
Chapters jump from timelines and it keeps you on your toes. This is an active read that all hobby detectives will love.
The Bad
It is a bit creepy. I swear I felt a bit uneasy thinking about insane people and trying to understand how someone who worked there could think those things. Also mind games and mind control has always fascinated me.
The Ugly
FURY is a great word for this book. It is furious. It was a little bit dark for me and that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I did but I felt as though I read it like I was watching Silence of the Lambs, with one hand over one eye.
4 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour.
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